Lake Gregory Water Park in Crestline, CA

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For some outdoor family fun your kids aren’t going to forget, the Lake Gregory water park is a hidden gem for Southern California families. And there are multiple ways you can do it. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed day or a weekend getaway, there are options for every family.

Camp Near Lake Gregory Water Park Or Stay in a Rental

When we went to the Lake Gregory water park, we wanted to make a summer camping trip out of it. There is a popular campground about 10-15 mins away, called Dogwood Campground, so we booked a campsite and invited my parents to do the same.

Check out these other great campgrounds near Big Bear.

Unfortunately, due to wildfires, my husband ended up not being able to join us on this trip kind of last minute. The thought of taking my kids camping all by myself sounded like more work and less enjoyment for me. So, I hopped on VRBO and found a cute rental for a few nights.

I chose one that was super close to Dogwood Campground so that we could still visit my parents and enjoy nightly campfires. It also provided easy access to some of the other fun things to do in Lake Arrowhead.

If Dogwood campground is all booked up, be sure to use my favorite app to scan for cancellations. It can even add sites to your cart when they become available!

Other Options of Where To Stay

Big Bear is another nearby city to stay in. While it isn’t as close as Lake Arrowhead, there are a lot of hotel and Airbnb options in Big Bear. Or you can stay at one of the fun campgrounds in Big Bear.

We made plans to go to Lake Gregory on our first full day up there. We bought our tickets in advance, and got there just before they opened. A line was already formed with people doing the same. But getting there early ensured we’d have easy parking and less crowds. We were there on a Saturday, so we didn’t encounter any summer camps, but I did hear from someone that weekdays are just as busy as weekends because large groups of summer campers are bussed in for the day.

To our surprise, when we got there, we ran into a family we knew well from sports back home. That was perfect because my kids instantly had friends to run off and explore with.

Lake Gregory Recreation Area

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Lake Gregory has a giant obstacle course on the water. It’s compete with slides, water trampolines, and my son’s personal favorite, The Blob. There are lifeguards on duty, and everyone is required to wear a life jacket. In addition, there are two large waterslides and a swimming beach. Note: you must be 48″ to go on the inflatables.

They only allow a certain amount of people on the obstacles at a time. As it got later in the day, and busier at the lake, they would rotate kids out by blowing whistles and getting everyone to shore. Then they’d allow a new group to go. Every once in awhile, the kids could get out, get in line and make it on with the next group. But most often, they had to wait in line for the 20 mins until the next group would get to go. This was a good opportunity to come in, eat, and regroup.

What To Expect

You can bring your own cooler and food to the lake, which is nice. There is also a snack bar onsite. No alcohol is allowed at the lake. If you just want to sit on the beach and observe, you can buy a day pass rather than an adventure pass, but you still need to pay. It was $10 a person for the day pass when we went, and $20 for the all-access adventure pass to access the obstacle course and waterslides.

Update (June 2025): Prices on the website now show $16 for the entry day pass and $30 for the all-access pass.

I figured one day at the lake would be more than enough, so I was planning on taking the kids to do some of the fun activities in Big Bear on the second day. But the kids had so much fun at the Lake Gregory water park, we closed it down and went back the next day.

Sunday was significantly less crowded than Saturday, so we didn’t have to wait in lines that day, or at least not nearly as much. I even decided to partake in the fun on that day. I do think we had more fun having that other family with us. If it had just been my kids, we probably would have only done one day.

The kids have been asking to go back this summer, so we will likely try to make a go of it again; this time hopefully getting an actual camping trip out of it as well.

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